第187章

第187章raskolnikov’sjudgmentwasutteredtoolightlyandhastily:therewassomethingaboutsvidrigailovwhichgavehimacertainoriginal,evenamysteriouscharacter.asconcernedhissister,raskolnikovwasconvincedthatsvidrigailovwouldnotleaveherinpeace.butitwastootiresomeandunbearabletogoonthinkingandthinkingaboutthis.

whenhewasalone,hehadnotgonetwentypacesbeforehesank,asusual,intodeepthought.onthebridgehestoodbytherailingandbegangazingatthewater.andhissisterwasstandingclosebyhim.

hemetherattheentrancetothebridge,butpassedbywithoutseeingher.douniahadnevermethimlikethisinthestreetbeforeandwasstruckwithdismay.shestoodstillanddidnotknowwhethertocalltohimornot.suddenlyshesawsvidrigailovcomingquicklyfromthedirectionofthehaymarket.

heseemedtobeapproachingcautiously.hedidnotgoontothebridge,butstoodasideonthepavement,doingallhecouldtoavoidraskolnikov’sseeinghim.hehadobserveddouniaforsometimeandhadbeenmakingsignstoher.shefanciedhewassignallingtobeghernottospeaktoherbrother,buttocometohim.

thatwaswhatdouniadid.shestolebyherbrotherandwentuptosvidrigailov.

“letusmakehasteaway,”svidrigailovwhisperedtoher,“idon’twantrodionromanovitchtoknowofourmeeting.imusttellyoui’vebeensittingwithhimintherestaurantcloseby,wherehelookedmeupandihadgreatdifficultyingettingridofhim.hehassomehowheardofmylettertoyouandsuspectssomething.itwasn’tyouwhotoldhim,ofcourse,butifnotyou,whothen?”

“well,we’veturnedthecornernow,”douniainterrupted,“andmybrotherwon’tseeus.ihavetotellyouthatiamgoingnofurtherwithyou.speaktomehere.youcantellitallinthestreet.”

“inthefirstplace,ican’tsayitinthestreet;secondly,youmusthearsofyasemyonovnatoo;and,thirdly,iwillshowyousomepapers.…ohwell,ifyouwon’tagreetocomewithme,ishallrefusetogiveanyexplanationandgoawayatonce.butibegyounottoforgetthataverycurioussecretofyourbelovedbrother’sisentirelyinmykeeping.”

douniastoodstill,hesitating,andlookedatsvidrigailovwithsearchingeyes.

“whatareyouafraidof?”heobservedquietly.“thetownisnotthecountry.andeveninthecountryyoudidmemoreharmthanididyou.”

“haveyoupreparedsofyasemyonovna?”

“no,ihavenotsaidawordtoherandamnotquitecertainwhethersheisathomenow.butmostlikelysheis.shehasburiedherstepmotherto-day:sheisnotlikelytogovisitingonsuchaday.forthetimeidon’twanttospeaktoanyoneaboutitandihalfregrethavingspokentoyou.theslightestindiscretionisasbadasbetrayalinathinglikethis.ilivethereinthathouse,wearecomingtoit.that’stheporterofourhouse—heknowsmeverywell;yousee,he’sbowing;heseesi’mcomingwithaladyandnodoubthehasnoticedyourfacealreadyandyouwillbegladofthatifyouareafraidofmeandsuspicious.excusemyputtingthingssocoarsely.ihaven’taflattomyself;sofyasemyonovna’sroomisnexttomine—shelodgesinthenextflat.thewholefloorisletoutinlodgings.whyareyoufrightenedlikeachild?amireallysoterrible?”

svidrigailov’slipsweretwistedinacondescendingsmile;buthewasinnosmilingmood.hisheartwasthrobbingandhecouldscarcelybreathe.hespokeratherloudtocoverhisgrowingexcitement.butdouniadidnotnoticethispeculiarexcitement,shewassoirritatedbyhisremarkthatshewasfrightenedofhimlikeachildandthathewassoterribletoher.

“thoughiknowthatyouarenotaman…ofhonour,iamnotintheleastafraidofyou.leadtheway,”shesaidwithapparentcomposure,butherfacewasverypale.

svidrigailovstoppedatsonia’sroom.

“allowmetoinquirewhethersheisathome.…sheisnot.howunfortunate!butiknowshemaycomequitesoon.ifshe’sgoneout,itcanonlybetoseealadyabouttheorphans.theirmotherisdead.…i’vebeenmeddlingandmakingarrangementsforthem.ifsofyasemyonovnadoesnotcomebackintenminutes,iwillsendhertoyou,to-dayifyoulike.thisismyflat.thesearemytworooms.madameresslich,mylandlady,hasthenextroom.now,lookthisway.iwillshowyoumychiefpieceofevidence:thisdoorfrommybedroomleadsintotwoperfectlyemptyrooms,whicharetolet.heretheyare…youmustlookintothemwithsomeattention.”

svidrigailovoccupiedtwofairlylargefurnishedrooms.douniawaslookingabouthermistrustfully,butsawnothingspecialinthefurnitureorpositionoftherooms.yettherewassomethingtoobserve,forinstance,thatsvidrigailov’sflatwasexactlybetweentwosetsofalmostuninhabitedapartments.hisroomswerenotentereddirectlyfromthepassage,butthroughthelandlady’stwoalmostemptyrooms.unlockingadoorleadingoutofhisbedroom,svidrigailovshoweddouniathetwoemptyroomsthatweretolet.douniastoppedinthedoorway,notknowingwhatshewascalledtolookupon,butsvidrigailovhastenedtoexplain.

“lookhere,atthissecondlargeroom.noticethatdoor,it’slocked.bythedoorstandsachair,theonlyoneinthetworooms.ibroughtitfrommyroomssoastolistenmoreconveniently.justtheothersideofthedoorissofyasemyonovna’stable;shesattheretalkingtorodionromanovitch.andisatherelisteningontwoessiveevenings,fortwohourseachtime—andofcourseiwasabletolearnsomething,whatdoyouthink?”

“youlistened?”

“yes,idid.nowcomebacktomyroom;wecan’tsitdownhere.”